Automobile crank-nonkicking



March 13, 1934. P W

AUTOMOBILE CRANK'NONKICKING Filed Sept. 8, 1952 Invervior J55 hisAZZoTn/eys 5 w 1 I.-- z A/ m. w 7 w a w Q fl v z Patented Mar. 13, 1934 1,950,797 AUTOMOBILE CRANK-NONKICKING Mahlon P. Howe, Albert Lea, Minn.

Application September 8, 1932, Serial No. 632,131

6 Claims.

My invention relates to starting cranks for the engines of automotive vehicles and particularly to non-kicking cranks.

Cranks are used quite generally in starting truck engines, bus engines, tractor engines, stationary engines, and engines used in many types of special machinery, such as concrete mixers, power shovels and others. At times, when the electric starting means is out of order, hand cranks are used for starting automobile motors. When using a conventional form of crank in starting an engine, there is always present the danger of the engine kicking back and the crank inflicting injury on the operator. Many such accidents have occurred. At the present time a simple, reliable, and inexpensive non-kicking crank is not available on the market.

It is an object of my invention to provide a simple and inexpensive crank of the class de- 20 scribed wherein automatic means is included to immediately free thev crank handle from positive connection with the engine being cranked in the event that the enginefkicks back.

Another object is to provide a crank of the class described wherein means isprovided for automatic release and physical'separation, of the crank handle from connection with the crank arm in the event that an engine being started by means of the crank kicks back. r

A further object is to provide a crank of the class described wherein a short bar carried by the handle is normally retained in a channelled outer portion of the crank arm by means of a pin and wherein said pin is automatically drawn from retaining position on the occurrence of a kickback to permit complete detachment and physical separation of the bar and handle from the crank arm.

These and other objects and advantages of the lowing description made in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which like reference,

characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of my crank with a portion thereof shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1 as indicated by the arrows, the parts being shown in normal position in full lines and in operated position in dotted lines;

Fig; 3 is a horizontal section taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 as indicated by thearrows, the parts being shown in normal position full lines and in operated position in dotted lines; and

invention will be more fully set forth in the fol- Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the handle and attachment bar of my crank.

Referring to the drawing, my crank includes a shaft 5 carrying in a diametrically disposed aperture near the inner end thereof a pin 6, each end of which projects radially a short distance outwardly from the periphery of the shaft to provide a means for engagement with the crank receiving member (not shown) of an engine. It will be understood that the construction at this point may be modified to lit-various engines.

At the opposite or outer end of the shaft 5, a radially extending flat rectangular arm 7 is formed.

integrally with or is otherwise rigidly secured to.

a depth nearly equal to the width of the arm 7 as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3.

A detachable crank handle member comprises. a handle 9 which has integrally formed therewith and disposed at right angles thereto a short bar 10 of a size and shape to be loosely received edge-. wise in the groove 8. The bar 10 is normally situated in the groove 8.

YA lever 11, having a hub 11a at its inner end' and being relatively heavy so as to have con siderable inertia, is rotatively mounted on the shaft 5 inwardly of and immediately adjacent the arm 7. A short distance inwardly of the hub 11, a pin 12 projecting a short distance outwardly from the periphery ofthe shaft 5 is secured in a diametrically disposed aperture in the shaft. Washers 13 and 14, each encircling the shaft 5 are respectively located immediately outward of and in'contact with the pin 12 and immediately inward of and in contact with the hub lla. A helical compression spring 15, encircling the shaft 5 is retained under moderate pressure between the washers 13 and 14 and presses the hub 110. into light frictional engagement with the inner surface of the inner portion of the arm 7.

The portion of the bar 10 of the detachable handle member adjacent the handle9 is apertured at 16 as, shown in Fig. 4 and the portions of the arm 7 defining the inner and outer sides of the groove 8 are respectivelyprovided with apertures 17 and 18 normally aligned with the aperture 16 and slightly larger than the same; The outer end of the lever 11, with the exception of the portion 11b immediately adjacent the leading edge thereof terminates at the lower'side of, the aperture 17 and the portion 11?) adjacent the of the crank arm 7, the lever 11 is substantially viewed from the left of Fig. 1) tends to swing the tion thereof in reverse direction will be transleading edge extends radially outwardly to a point above the upper side of the aperture to form a stop as shown. Approximately in line with the trailing edge of the stop 111), a lug 19 projects inwardly from the inner face of the lever 11 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A pin 20, smaller in diameter than the apertures 16 and 17, normally extending through the apertures 17 and 16, and having the inner portion of the leading side thereof abutment with the stop 11b is pivotally connected at its inner end to the 'lug 19 by a bolt 21, or other suitable means, as shown.

A hook-like stop member 22, secured to the outer portion of the lever 11, extends from the trailing side of the lever 11 and is shaped andsituated as shown, to engage the arm 7 to limit angular displacement between the 'arm 7 and the lever 11.

An inturned ear 23, formed integrally with the.

arm 7 extends across the lower portion of the open leading side of the groove 8.as shown and the lower corner of the bar of the detachable handle is notched, at 24, as shown in Fig. 4, to permit engagement with the ear 23.

Operation The parts of my crank are disposed as shown in full lines in the drawing when set for use in cranking an engine The bar 10 of the detachable crank handle is situated within the slot 8 in line with the crank arm 7, and the pin 20 is disposed so that it extends through the aperture 17 of the crank arm and the aperture 16 of the bar 10 of the detachable crank handle, as shown in full lines.

The slight friction between the arm 7 and. the lever 11, brought about by the spring pressing the arm and lever together, tends to yieldingly retain the various parts in the relative positions described.

In using the crank, the pin 6 on the inner end of the shaft 5 is of course engaged with the crank receiving member of the engine to be started. The crank is then turned in the same manner as any conventional form of crank. The bar 10 of the detachable crank handle is located within the groove 8 of the crank arm and is retained therein by the pin 20. Clockwise movement of the crank handle 9 and the bar 10 with respect to the shaft 5 (as pin in an anti-clockwise (as viewed in Fig. 3) direction, but the pin 20 is engaged adjacent the pivoted portion thereof with the stop 11b carried by the upper end of the lever 11 and hence, instead of swinging, forces the stop 11b and the lever 11 to move with and in the same direction as the crank handle 9. Since the pin extends through the aperture 17 in the arm 7, the arm '7 isalso carried with the handle 9 and the lever 11 and hence movement of the handle 9 is transmitted through the arm 7 to the shaft 5 and from the shaft 5 through the pin 6 to crank the engine in a clockwise direction.

Should the engine kick back, the sudden rotamitted from the engine to the crank arm 7 throughv the pin 6 and the shaft 5. Due to the sudden reverse movement of the arm 7 and the inertia of the lever 11, the lever 11 will tend to slip on the shaft 5 instead of rotating in a reverse direction with the arm 11. This results in an angular displacement between the arm '7 and the lever 11 as shownin dotted lines, this displacement obviously being limited by means of the stop 22. As the above mentioned angular dis placement takes place, the pin 20, which is smaller in diameter than the apertures 17 and 16, is turned at an angle to the axes of the apertures and then, sliding on the stop 11b, the pin is withdrawn from the apertures 16 and 17 to finally assume the position shown in dotted lines. Withdrawal of the pin 20 obviously releases the bar 10 of the detachable crank handle and permits complete disengagement of the crank handle from the crank arm. The operator then has the detachable crank handle shown in Fig. 4 in his hand and the remaining parts of the crank may continue to rotate in a reverse direction without imposing discomfort or injury upon the operator.

Several cranks, constructed in accordance with my invention, have been used in practice and have been found to be very reliable and satisfactory. In repeated use in connection with engines wherein the ignitionhadbeen purposely advanced to produce violent kicking back, my crank has been found to reliably and-consistently release the handle thereof within a very few angular degrees of reverse rotation, in fact, so quickly that the operator experienced only a very slight and harmless jar on the occurrence of a kick-back.

It is apparent that I have invented a novel and very efiicient form of non-kicking starting crank for engines which is reliable, convenient of operation, compact, and rugged, and whereof the manufacture is simple and inexpensive.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details and arrangement and proportions of the parts without departing from the scopeof my invention, which generally stated, consists ina device capable of carrying out the objectsabove set forth, and in the novel parts andcombinations of parts disclosed and. pointed out in theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a starting crank for engines, a shaft adapted at its inner end for engagement with the crank receiving member of an engine, a crank arm rigidly mounted on and extending radially from the outer end of said shaft, a. crank handle, a bar rigidly attached to said handle, said arm having a recess therein adapted to receive said bar, a movable retainingmember arranged to hold said bar in said recess, and an inertia actuated element connected to and arranged for moving said'retaining member to an inoperative position and releasing said bar from said recess on the occurrenceof a sudden rotation of said shaft-in an anti-normal direction. 1

2. In a starting. crank for engines, a shaft adapted at its inner end for engagement with the crank receiving'member of an engine, a crank arm rigidly mounted on and extending radially from the outer end'of said shaft, a crank handle, a bar rigidly secured to and extending atright angles'to said handle, said arm having a longitudinally disposed recess in the leading side of the outer portion thereof adapted to receive said bar, said bar normally being disposed within said recess, said bar and a portion of said arm'defining said recess each being provided with one of a pair of aligned apertures, apin normally extending through said'apertures to retain said bar within said recess, and an inertia actuated member connected to and arranged for withdrawing said pin from the aperture in said bar and permitting;- escape of said bar from saidrecess on the occurrence' of asudden rotation of'said shaft in n a ti-no m direction.-

3. In a starting crank for engines, a shaft adapted at its inner end for engagement with the crank receiving member of an engine, a crank arm secured to and extending radially from the outer portion of said shaft, a member having considerable inertia rotatively mounted with respect to said arm, said means and said arm being frictionally connected to provide a slight frictional resistance to rotation of said member with respect to said arm, a crank handle releasably mounted on said arm, and a movable retaining element for preventing release of said handle, said retaining element being connected to said member whereby said retaining element will be moved to an inoperative position and said handle will be released as a result of rotation of said member with respect to said arm due to sudden rotation of said shaft in an anti-normal direction.

4. In a starting crank for engines, a shaft adapted at its inner end for engagement with the crank receiving member of an engine, a crank arm secured to and extending radially from the outer portion of said shaft, a lever having considerable inertia rotatively mounted on said shaft adjacent said arm, said arm and said lever being frictionally connected to provide a slight frictional resistance to rotation of said lever with respect to said shaft, a crank handle releasably mounted on the outer portion of said arm, and a retaining element for preventing release 01 said handle, said lever being connected to said retaining element whereby said retaining element will be rendered inoperative and said handle will be released on the occurrence of a sudden rotation of said shaft in an anti-normal direction.

5. In a starting crank for engines, a shaft adapted at its inner end for connection to the crankshaft of an engine, a crank arm secured to and extending radially from the outer end of said shaft, a longitudinally disposed groove in the leading side of said arm, a handle member comprising a handle and a bar formed integrally therewith and disposed at right angles thereto, said bar normally being disposed within said groove, said bar and the portion of said arm situated inwardly from said bar respectively having aligned apertures therethrough, a hubbed lever having considerable inertia rotatively mounted on said shaft and situated adjacent the inner side of said arm, stop means secured to said shaft inwardly of said hub, a helical compression spring encircling said shaft and bearing at its respective ends against said hub and said stop means, and a pin pivotally mounted at its inner end to the outer end of said lever, said pin being smaller in diameter than said apertures and normally extending therethrough to retain said bar in said groove, whereby, on the occurrence of a sudden reversal of the direction of rotation of said shaft from normal to anti-normal, said arm and said handle member will rotate with said shaft through a small angle and said lever, by virtue of its inertia, will slip on said shaft and lag behind said arm, thus withdrawing said pin from the aperture in said bar and releasing said handle member.

6. A starting crank for engines, including a shaft adapted at its inner end for engagement with the crank receiving member of an engine, a crank arm rigidly mounted on and extending radially fro-m the outer end of said shaft, a crank handle releasably carried by the free end of said arm, a movable retaining member arranged to prevent release of said handle when said retaining member is in one position and to permit said release when in a second position, and an inertia actuated member connected to said retaining member and arranged to move said retaining member to said second position thereof on the occurrence of a sudden rotation of said arm in an anti-normal direction whereby said crank handle will be released from all connection with any of the remaining parts of said starting crank.

MAI-ILON P. HOWE. 

